nd they were obliged in going out of the bay to keep very near to
a point of land, the Spaniards galled them from that point, under the
shelter of the wood. They soon passed this point, having a fair wind,
all lying close in the bottom of the bark, so that on this occasion only
one man was wounded, who was shot through the thigh. The Spaniards came
down upon them in this affair after the following singular manner. They
were preceded by twenty or more horses abreast, two deep, and linked
together, behind which extraordinary van-guard came the enemy on
horseback, lying on the necks of their horses, and driving the others
before them, never seen to sit up on their saddles, except to fire their
muskets, or when there was no danger. When they got near our people,
they threw their _lays_ or running nooses to catch them, and accordingly
ensnared James Daniel, one of my foremast-men, who was a good way into
the water, and whom they dragged out again at the rate of ten knots. The
Spaniards in Chili are universally dexterous in the use of this running
noose, for I have seen a Spaniard bring a man up by the foot as he ran
along the deck, and they are sure of any thing they fling at, at the
distance of several fathoms.

These misfortunes and disappointments made my crew extremely uneasy, and
might have had bad consequences, if we had not been agreeably surprised
by seeing a large ship coming round the northern point of the island of
_Quiri-quinie_.[262] It was at this time almost dark, so that her people
could not perceive what we were, and stood on therefore without fear, so
that she came towards us, and was taken without resistance. This ship
proved to be the St Fermin, of about 300 tons, last from _Cadaco_,[263]
having only a small cargo, consisting of sugar, molasses, rice, coarse
French linen, some woollen cloth and bays of Quito, a small quantity of
chocolate, and about five or six thousand dollars in money and wrought
plate. I sent Mr Hendric, the owners agent, to inspect her cargo, and to
order every thing of value out of her into the Speedwell, and the ship's
company sent their agent likewise. They returned in the afternoon,
bringing all the bales, boxes, chests, portmanteaus, and other packages,
with a large quantity of sugar, molasses, and chocolate, and about
seventy hundred weight of good rusk, with all her other stores and
eatables. Don Francisco Larragan, the captain of this ship, begged to be
allowed to ransom her, w